Cyber Exodus is the third data pack released for Android: Netrunner and to say it had a big impact on the game is something of an understatement. Let’s take a look at my choices from the pack:
Runner
A 3
influence Shaper Event that can be played at a cost of 3 credits, take a
look at Test Run’s ability in the picture here. It says it all really.
There are many ways in which this could be utilised. Just one that
springs to mind – You play Test Run and search your stack for Femme
Fatale. You install it for nothing (instead of 9 credits) and select the
piece of Ice the Femme can break through using credits. You use her
during a run. At the end of the turn, she is placed at the top of your
stack for you to draw the next turn, install if you have the credits and
select a different piece of Ice to run on. Or if you have another Test
run, you could trash Femme, only to then play if for free again out of
your heap.
You can
put this card into play at a cost of 1 and from there you can host any
number of programs or hardware on Personal Workshop, each just costing
you a click. You place power counters on these programs equal to their
install cost and at the beginning of each turn, you choose one of the
cards to remove a power counter. When all power counters on a card have
gone, the card is immediately installed. You can also pay a credit to
remove a power counter.
The
power of this is not immediately apparent – but the key lies in the fact
that paying a credit to remove a counter is not also costing you a
click – which means it can be done mid-run. Let’s say you have a Sentry
icebreaker in play (a Fractor). On your Personal Workshop you have a
Decoder progam hosted, which will break Code Gate subroutines. You spend
a click and make a run on a server protected by two pieces of Ice – the
outermost piece being a Sentry. You break through this and the
Corporation decides to rez the next piece of Ice. It is a Code Gate. So
at this point, you can pay credits equal to the number of power counters
still on your Decoder Icebreaker, remove them and install it. You can
now break that Code gate Ice with this newly installed program.
This
card may be 4 influence, but it is so good it has seen plenty of play in
other decks, namely Noise – utilising Personal Workshop to more
efficiently install Virus programs and forcing the Corp to trash R &
D cards with Noise’s ability.
The
card’s weakness? It is a resource, so if you’re tagged on the Corp’s
turn, your opponent can trash this – along with all the cards hosted on
it.
3. Emergency Shutdown
3. Emergency Shutdown
A zero
cost, 2 influence, Criminal Event that you can play if you made a
successfully run on HQ that turn. Then you can derez a piece of Ice.
Best used on the more expensive Ice, this can completely mess with the
Corporate player’s economy plans. On the your next turn, the Corporation
may not have enough money to rez that Ice again, and you’ve got your
way in.
Corporation
At first
glance this may seem a weak choice. The Runner sails past this Ice by
paying a single credit. But it doesn’t cost the Corporation to rez it
and every time the Runner encounters Pop-up Window, the Corp gains a
credit. So if placed on a server you know the Runner is going to be
targeting frequently – like R & D – it can be a nice little earner
for you.
2. Project Vitruvius
Has
Noise trashed something to archives that you needed? Well if you advance
this agenda beyond its score limit of 3, you’ll be able to use hosted
power counters to go and retrieve it. Indeed, the Corporation could
willingly trash cards to archives in order to collect them later with
this – Scorched Earth springing to mind. An excellent agenda for HB, as
long as you can protect it long enough to advance it.
A
Weyland Transaction card (so already a bonus for Weyland’s core ability
of gaining a credit whenever a Transaction is played), Commercialization
can be played for free and you’ll gain a credit for each advancement
token on a piece of Ice. Considering that serveral of Weyland’s Ice can
be advanced, this can be a good injection of income if you draw it at
the right time.
A Study in Static – the fourth data pack in the Genesis cycle. Here are some of the highlights:
Runner
A 1
influence Shaper Program that can be installed at a cost of 3 credits
and a memory unit. Got an AP piece of Ice you need to get by? Trash this
and you’re through. Jinteki about to flatline you with net damage?
Trash this card to prevent it. Nice to have in play just in case – if
you can spare the memory slot that is.
A
Criminal piece of Hardware that gives you 1 extra MU. Great. But it gets
better. After a successful run ends, once per turn, you may use
Doppelganger to make another run (without costing you a click). A
brilliant ability if you have can make that second run successful. Could
work really well with Anarch – make a run on R & D (trashing cards
with Demolition Run or Imp), make another run on R & D with
Doppelganger to see if there is now an Agenda waiting for you.
2
recurring credits to use for trashing cards. This Anarch card has a cost
of 2 and to many it meant there was little reason to play as the
Wizzard identity. Of course, you could play both Wizzard and Scrubber and be trashing cards left right and centre.
Corporation
A new
Weyland identity with 1 recurring credit to use to advance Ice. With
Shadow and Ice Wall as in-faction Ice – both of which can be advanced –
these cards are going to get stronger every turn, for free. An excellent
ability if you’re already happy with your economy and don’t need that
extra credit for playing transaction cards that Weyland’s original
agenda offers.
This
card allows you to put out that piece of Ice you can’t really afford to
rez otherwise. Great if it’s going to stop the Runner (and probably do
some damage), not so great once the Runner breaks the subroutines on
that Ice, because the Ice is then trashed, along with Oversight AI.
3. Uroboros
A strong
piece of NBN Ice that if placed well and if you have the money for the
traces, can stop the Runner from doing what comes naturally for the rest
of his turn. Expensive to use, but affective.
In the next post in the series, we’ll be completing our round up of the Genesis cycle with the final two data packs – Humanity’s Shadow and Future Proof.
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